Crown rest for bottle crowning machines



NOV. 1, 1938. J KANTQR I 2,135,212

CROWN REST FOR BOTTLE CROWNING MACHINES Filed 001;. 11, ,1935

26 INVENTOR. James" Hazzar,

ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 1, 1938 UNITED STATES CROWN REST FOR BCOTTLECROWNING MACHINES James Kantor, Chicago, Ill., assignor to The LiquidCarbonic Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of DelawareApplication October 11, 1935, Serial No. 44,528

8 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in capping machines and one of theobjects thereof is to provide a capping machine for applying caps toreceptacles having comparatively short necks, such for instance, asshort-necked bottles and cans.

The present commercial type of bottle capping machines is adapted toapply the crown or cap to a bottle which ordinarily has a comparativelylong neck and is therefore of such construction that the neck of thebottle may pass well through the crown support and the cap be engaged bythe crimper.

The present tendency in certain commercial lines is'to use a receptaclein the form of a bottle having a comparatively short neck or to use areceptacle which takes the form of a can and which necessarily isprovided with a comparatively short neck. As a result, the neck .of sucha receptacle is not long enough to pass completely through the crownsupport of the capper and into a position to permit the crimpingmechanism to engage and crimp the sides of the crown.

It is one of the objects of my invention to provide a receptacle capperwhich will accommodate the short neck type of receptacle.

For the purpose of disclosing my invention, I have illustrated anembodiment thereof, in the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is aside elevation partly in section of a crowner embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view taken in a different plane from thesection shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 6 is a side elevation, of the top, of a receptacle adapted to becrowned by a structure embodying my present invention.

In the structure disclosed, the crowning mechanism is adapted to bereciprocated for the purpose of holding the crown in position on the topof the neck of the receptacle and to crimp the edges of the crown on thebead of the neck of the receptacle.

In operation, the receptacles are fed beneath the crowner, in anysuitable manner, and after being placed beneath the crowner the crowneris adapted to descend for crimping the crown in place. To this end Iprovide a yoke I which has at its upper end a roller 2 adapted tooperate in a suitable stationary cam track, not shown, for the purposeof moving the crowner up and down as the mechanism rotates about avertical axis during the crowning operation. This yoke carries at itslower end a hollow cylindrical housing 3 having mounted therein a hollowsleeve or plunger 4, reciprccably mounted within the housing andcarrying at its lower end a crimping or crowning head 5. This crimpinghead 5 is provided with an annular flange 6 adapted to screw-thread onthe end of the cylinder G and carries within a bottom flange l thecrimping mechanism. This crimping mechanism preferably comprises aplurality of segmental crimpers 8 having inclined outer facescooperating with the inclined faces of segmental wedging members 9. Thewedging members are clamped around the crimpers by a suitable clampingcoiled spring l0. i

The sleeve 4 is biased in a projected position by a coiled spring I linterposed between an annular flange I2 on the sleeve and a pair of ringmembers l3 arranged in the upper end of the housing 3 and preventedagainst vertical upward movement by a shoulder 14 formed in the housing.

This sleeve is provided with a plurality of dogs l5 operating in slots16 in the wall of the sleeve and pivoted as at l! in the slots. Thenoses it of the dogs, in normal position, engage in notches l9 formedbetween the edges of the rings it and these dogs are maintained in theirlocking position by a stem 21 forming a part of a plunger 2! in turnoperating in the hollow plunger or sleeve 6. This stem or head 29, innormal position of the parts, is positioned between the dogs at theirupper ends, as illustrated, and prevents the dogs from moving out ofengagement with the notches. The head or stem is connected by arestricted portion or neck 22 with the plunger 2! and the lower end ofthe head 20 at the point where it joins the neck is provided with camsurfaces 23. A similar cam surface 24 is provided at the upper end ofthe plunger 2!, at the point where the neck 22 joins the plunger.

This plunger'zl is biased in its projected position by a coiled spring25 interposed between a shoulder 26 on the plunger and a shoulder 2'! onthe sleeve or plunger 4.

The above construction is adapted to descend upon the receptacle to becrowned, the plunger 2! first engaging the crown and holding it seatedupon the top of the receptacle and the sleeve 4 with its associatedcrimpers being adapted to continue downwardly to cause the crimpers toembrace the sides of the crown and crimp the same around the bead of thereceptacle. In order to receive and maintain the crown in a position tobe placed upon the top of the receptacle as the crowner descends and inorder to guide the neck of the receptacle into a position to receive thecrown, I provide a crown rest 28. This crown rest 28 is provided with acentral opening 29 which is enlarged at its top toprovide a crown restshoulder 30 on which the crown to be positioned is adapted to rest whilethe neck of the receptacle passes through the opening 29. In addition tothe opening the crown rest is provided with an annular .side skirthaving a bell mouth 3| adapted to engage and center and guide thereceptacle, such as a can 32 and the under face of the crown rest isalso provided with a flaring portion 33, also adapted to engage andcenter and guide the neck of the receptacle. In such receptacles ascans, if for any reason the top of the neck of the can be struck orcrushed to any extent, it will be thrown so out of alinement that theproper placing and crimping of the crown in position will be prevented.Therefore, in using the crowner with cans I prefer to guide thecan bywhat is known as the upper seam 34 of the can body instead of relyingupon the throat or neck proper of the can.

The crimper head is provided, on each side thereof, with a pair of wingsor extensions 35 and these wings or extensions, are provided withvertical pin-receiving openings 36 to receive supporting pins 31projecting upwardly from the crown rest 28. These pins are preferablysocketed in openings 38 extending into extension wings 39 on the crownrest and transverse pins 40 extending through the walls of the wingssecure the pins-in position. These pins are surrounded by coiled springsM which bear upon the bottom of the pin-receiving sockets on the crownrest and shoulders formed by enlarged openings in the wings 35 of thehead 5. These pins 36, at their uper ends, are provided with reducednecks 42 to receive slots on suitable latches for holding the pins inposition. These latches preferablycomprise flat plates 43 operating inhorizontally disposed slots in the wings 35 and pivoted in these slotsby pins 44. Intermediate of the ends of the pins the latches areprovided with notches 45 adapted to embrace the necks 42 of the pins andthereby maintain the pins in position. The'latches are maintained intheir latching position by spring-pressed pins 46 adapted to engage insmall recesses on the under face of the latch when the latch is swunginto closed position. Due to the interposition of the coiled springs 4|between the crimper head and the crown support, the crown support isbiased in its projected position but may move against the pressuretension of these springs toward the crimper head. The latch mechanism,of course,

' provides a ready mechanism to permit the r moval of the crown rest inevent of jamming of crowns in the crimper or for the purpose of inisadapted to rest upon the throat or neck 48 of the receptacle. Acontinued downward movement of the crowner causes the plunger 2| tovengage the top of the crown holding it firmly seated on the neck orthroat of the receptacle and. a' continued downward movement moves thecrimpers 8 down around the sides of the crown crimping the same aroundthe bead on the throat or neck of the receptacle. In view of the factthat the crown rest has a certain amount of relative movement withrespect to the crowning head 5, even though the neck of the receptacleis comparatively short, the head may be moved downwardly to the fullextent of its movement to engage the crimper with the sides of thecrown; the relative movement taking place between the crown support andthe crimping head after the crown support has more or less seateditself, in the case of the can, as illustrated, on the bead'34 thereof.This insures a suflicient projection of the throat of the can throughthe crown support to permit it to fully enter the crimping head.

I claim as .my invention:

1. In a receptacle crowner, the combination with a reciprocatingcrimper, of a plunger'associated with said crimper movable with andrelatively thereto for initially engaging the crown and holding the samein position upon the receptacle, and a crown rest adapted to receive andsupport a crown below said plunger and crimper and movable relatively tosaid crimper by engagement with the receptacle to be crowned.

' 2. Ina receptacle crowner of the type adapted to embrace and becrimped on the neck of a receptacle, the combination with a crimperadapted to reciprocate relativelyto the receptacle to be crowned,comprising a crowning throat receiving the crown and of such diameter asto reduce'the diameter of at least a portion of the crown, a crown restassociated therewith mov able relatively to the receptacle with thecrimper for at least a portion of the stroke of the crimper and havingan opening therein smaller than an uncrimped crown but greater than theneck of the receptacle and normally spaced from the crimping throat asufiicient distance to support a crown between said throat and the rest,and a mounting for said rest to permit the rest to move with thereceptacle towards the throat after the neck of the receptacle has beenprojected through the opening in said rest and intothe crown asuificient distance for the throat to embrace the crown and crimp thesame. V

3. In a receptacle crowner for applyinga crown of the type adapted toembrace and be crimped over the neck of a receptacle, the combinationwith a crimper adapted to reciprocate relatively to the receptacle to becrowned and including a crowning throat receiving the crown and of sucha diameter as to reduce at least aportion of the crown as the crown isprojected therein, a crown rest spaced apart from said throat asufficient distance to receive a crown between said throat and rest andhaving an opening therein smaller in diameter than an uncrimped crownbut greater than the neck of the receptacle, said crown rest beingcarried by and movable with the throat to project the neck of thereceptacle through said opening and into the crown supported thereby andmovable axially relatively to the throat by engagement with thereceptacle to be crowned to project the crown into the throat forcrimping the crown.

4. In a receptacle crowner for applying a crown of the type adapted toembrace and be crimped over the neck of a receptacle, the combinationwith a crimper movable relatively to the receptacle to be crowned andcomprising a crowning throat receiving the crown and. of such diameteras to reduce the diameter of at least a portion of the crown, a crownrest spaced apart from the throat a suflicient distance to support acrown between the throat and rest and having an opening therein of asmaller diameter than an uncrimped crown and of a greater diameter thanthe neck of the receptacle and having a portion engaging the body of thereceptacle for centering the neck of the receptacle with respect to saidopening, said rest being mounted to move with the throat for the purposeof applying a crown to the neck of the bottle and relatively to thethroat for the purpose of moving the crown into said throat to becrimped.

5. In a receptacle crowner, the combination with a crimper adapted forreciprocating movement relatively to the receptacle to be crowned, of aplunger associated with said crimper for initially engaging the crownand maintaining the same in position upon the neck of the receptacle anda crown rest adapted to receive and support a crown below said plungerand crimper and having a movement relatively to said crimper and havingan opening for receiving the neck of the receptacle, an annular shoulderon said rest engaging the body of the receptacle to cause the rest tomove with said receptacle and a flaring flange on said rest projectingbelow said rest a suflicient distance to engage the body of thereceptacle and guide the neck of the receptacle into the opening of thecrown rest.

6. In a receptacle crowner, the combination with a head having acrowning throat, a pair of supporting pins carried by said head andprojecting from the bottom thereof, a crown rest supported on said pinsto move axially relatively to said head, and means for biasing said restin a projected position 7. In a receptacle crowner, the combination witha crowning head having a crown throat therein and having a plurality ofpin-receiving sockets parallel with the axis of said throat, a crownrest, a plurality of pins secured to said crown rest and received insaid sockets, and means for latching said pins in said sockets to permita relative movement between said crown rest and said head.

8. In a receptacle crowner, the combination with a head having acrowning throat, of a plunger movable with and relatively to said head,a plurality of supporting pins axially slidable in said head, a crownrest carried by said pins below said head and means interposed betweensaid head and crown rest for biasing said rest away from said head.

JAMES KANTOR.

